I'm Here
by OnlyTheInevitable
Summary: Evergreen is coping with her sadness by picking up random men at bars and Elfman wants to save her from herself. ElfmanxEvergreen


**Hey, Thank you for checking out my story, I really appreciate it :) The beautiful cover art is by Arya-Aiedail from deviant art, go check her out. Hope you enjoy! ****_Italics are Evergreen's thoughts._**

Evergreen knew she was attractive, she'd been told that for as long as she can remember. She went from cute little girl to voluptuous woman overnight. Men lusting after her was as frequent as the sun coming up.

"Hey, babe, that's a hot ass tattoo ya got there." Evergreen lifted her lips from her drink to address the man motioning towards her guild marking. He was an older guy, maybe in his thirties with lewd eyes and slicked back hair. _Idiot. he's referring to the marking of Magnolia's famous Fairy Tail guild as if it we're a slutty tramp stamp._

"Thank you for noticing." She turned to get a better look at the man. He was on the tall side, well built. _Not like him though._ She shook the thoughts from her mind before she could continue. This guy will work fine. Why look too much into something that's only being used as a temporary relief. The man opened up his mouth but was immediately interrupted.

"Let's go to your house." she demanded with a seductive smile. He man's eyes widened and his mouth dropped. He stayed like that for a second before quickly trying to regain the suave facade he was failing at.

It was the same every time. Go on the outskirts of town _As far away from Fairy Tail as possible_, find a bar, seduce someone, go to their house, fuck the sadness away, feel better for a little bit. Every time after one of these encounters she felt worse than before, but that didn't matter. For a tiny fraction of time she was loved. Hands wandered over her body, craving **her**. Eyes greedily drinking in every detail of **her. **For that moment in time **she** was the most important person. That's all she wanted.

Time when she isn't second best, where she isn't a monster. The man of the night would give her compliments, moan out gratitude, and fall asleep with a satisfied smile. She would sneak out of bed, get dressed, and make the walk of shame back to her home.

She was relieved she had an apartment to herself now. When she used to live with the rest of the Thunder Legion, walking into the house was always uncomfortable. It wasn't hard for them to connect the dots and she hated the looks of concern she got. She loves them, they the closest thing she has to family, but this was a part of her they shouldn't see. Bickslow was the only one to actually corner her alone and ask.

"Ever, Why do you do this to yourself?" It was one of the only times she can remember him being serious

"It doesn't matter." the inquisition ended there.

She felt one final, hard slam accompanied by a throaty growl and a hard tug on her hair before feeling the sweaty man falling on top of her. _I didn't even get to finish._

She slid out of the bed and located her dress on the floor, a blue lace ensemble, a little shorter and low cut than most of her normal outfit. She slid it up her sore body, picked up her purse, and promptly left. She had gone a little farther than she normally did so the distance to her home was unwelcomed by her tired feet. She made it about half an hour before she found a park bench to rest on. The adrenaline had worn off, the endorphins gone, the shame had made it's way back home. I am disgusting. She's been doing this for years and she always lives on the naive notion that maybe this time she won't feel guilty. She always does.

The first time was five years ago, fifteen years old. She had a stupid teenage crush on Laxus and when she saw him flirt with some random girl she was jealous. She went to a bar in her skimpiest outfit and was picked up by a man with immoral standards and ungentle hands. She felt wanted and she became addicted to it. Years later, age twenty, history was repeating itself. Elfman had been leering at some girl from a fellow guild. He never looks at me like that. Saying she didn't care for the large takeover mage would just be a huge lie. She was very fond of the man she became close to during the Tenrou Island stint, it was more than a teenage crush. When she saw him leering, she was filled with an unrivaled jealousy. Now, hours later, she was on a random park bench with a sore body and uncomfortable dried semen coating her inner thighs.

"Ever?" _Great, now I'm hallucinating his voice._

"Ever, are you okay? What's wrong? What happened?" a concerned voice and a hand touching her shoulder made her eyes shoot open to see none other than Elfman Strauss looming over her. She quickly straightened up and shooed his hand away.

"Of course I'm fine, why do you ask? And I told you not to call me that." Her voice came out hoarser than normal and she tried to quietly clear it while Elfman stood there trying to find a reason.

"I-um-you look- It's just, it's three o'clock in the morning. Isn't this a little late for you?" She may call him an idiot, but he isn't oblivious. Her hair is tousled, her clothes are askew, she can see bruises forming from where the man had groped her, she smelled like sex, it didn't take a genius to figure it out.

"No, and I can be out as late as I want." She barked, surprised when she saw him taking a seat next to her.

"You know, it isn't manly to lie, Evergreen." He reprimanded, making himself more comfortable on the bench.

"How many times do I have to tell you I am not a-"

"Did the man from the bar hurt you?" Evergreen blanched when she processed his question. _He saw. _She decided to play innocent.

"What are you talking about?"

"You're not the only one who likes to get away from the guild every now and then." He stated

"I do-" She cut herself off when he grabbed her wrist, dwarfed in comparison to his. He traced the faint bruises with the pad of his thumb before she recoiled her hand away from his touch.

"You were attacked."

"Do you really think someone could take advantage of me?" She asked in a condescending voice.

"I would've turned them into stone." She reminded

"Why did you go with him?" he asked

"None of your buisness."

"I don't like you waving your life around like it's nothing. A true man isn't reckless. What if he'd been dangerous?" Elfman persisted

"I can take care of myself!" She yelled standing up, she felt the exhaustion hit her like a train but she didn't want him to see it. She made it a few feet while swaying before she felt herself get lifted off of the ground.

"What are you doing?" Put me down!" she demanded as he started walking back to town, pathetically struggling against him before giving up and laying her head against his chest.

"It's okay to let people in, Ever." he said gently, Adjusting his arms so she was more comfortable. She remained silent so he took it as an opportunity to ask again.

"Why did you go home with some stranger?" She stiffened a little in his arms before softly responding.

"I just like feeling wanted." He's positive had she not been so tired he probably would not have gotten such a genuine answer.

"Lots of people want you, Ever."

"Shut up. Laxus can take care of himself, Freed obviously chooses Bickslow, you don't need me. I've now ran out of people." she stated. He hated the confidence she held behind these words, as if she was positive they were the truth. For such an intelligent person, she was being pretty dense.

"Don't say things like that. You are a wonderful partner, Evergreen." Elfman gushed. Evergreen was thankful the cover of night hid her now red face.

"Where are you taking me? Are you kidnapping me?" she asked, craning her head to get a better look at her surroundings.

"A real man would never leave his friend to fend for herself after having a hard night. You'll spend a night at my place." He turned down the corner and was now in view of his small home.

"But I need to take a shower." she argued.

"Use mine. You can borrow my sisters overnight clothes."

"Wait- I thought you all lived together?" She said getting nervous as he unlocked his door and made his way inside, all while still holding her. He set her down gently and ran to a nearby dresser, rummaging around.

"Nope. When Lisanna came back they moved into Fairy Hills." he answered as he pulled out pajamas that were obviously Mirajane's and handed them to her. She accepted them and followed Elfman's lead to the bathroom down the hall.

"Take your time. I'll sleep on the couch, the beds in that room right there. That's what we do when my sisters come over." He said making his way back down the hall.

"I am not kicking you out of your own bed you big oaf. I will turn you into stone if I come out and you're on the damn couch. she responded, shutting the door behind her.

She set the borrowed clothes onto the hamper before peeling the dress off and bunching it up into a ball in the corner. She got into the shower and turned on the stream of cascading warm water. She basked in the water's embrace before using Elfman's shower supplies to get all of the evenings events off of her. She sniffed his shampoo and tried to decide what scent it was, she smirk and decided it was "Manly". She lathered her hair and rinsed it a few times before she turned off the shower and stepped out grabbing a towel and wiping herself off. She grabbed the clothes and got dressed before quietly exiting the room and starting the search for Elfman. She looked at the couch first and was glad to see he wasn't there. She made her way down the hall before stopping in front of the door he had previously motioned to. She opened the door as silently as she could and was greeted with the sight of Elfman sprawled out in the bed, snoring.

She tip toed over to his bed and maneuvered herself into a ball at his side, trying to take up as little room as possible. She was surprised when she saw Elfman lean up, grab the covers and lay half over her. He turned on his side and wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close.

"Ever, you will always have me. I will always want you by my side. Please never forget that." He mumbled into her damp hair.

"Th-Thank you, Elfman." she whispered. Covering his arm with her own.

Evergreen has found a new stress reliever, she likes this one much more, Elfman Strauss.

**Thanks for reading! I'm really not sure how happy I am with this, it feels a bit OOC. I think the beginning was much stronger and it got weak. Please, Please feel free to review if you liked it or not, and if there's anything Elfever you want to see. I love you. - Nicole**


End file.
